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English Ale Month 2012

Here at The Brew Club that means English Ale month, and I know that Scott has stockpiled a number of reviews of English beers for publication, meaning we should have an interesting selection of reviews for you!

Some old, some new.

As for the British beer scene, well, there are an increasing number of craft and microbreweries opening, producing some fine and rewarding ales; and the closure rate of British pubs seems to be slowing a little – although MY local remains under threat.

Update – word is that the Brewery that owns my local has sold it, we shall see what that means, hopefully the new owners will bring in an improved range of beers – my local ‘Real Ale’ pub is always crowded.

The only downsides to the year I think are government legislation, firstly increasing the duty on stronger beers, and more recently proposing a ‘minimum price per unit’ on alcoholic drinks. You might recall (or find the article here) that a pint of 5% ABV beer contains around 3 ‘units’ and the government has decreed that 28 units per week is a ‘safe’ limit.

These changes in duty and pricing may impact the beer connoisseur, although they are principally ciders and beers sold in supermarkets.

As I’ve said before, I’ve NEVER seen a bozo clutching a bottle of Chimay!

Personally it’s been an interesting year beer wise, I’ve helped judge beer competitions, discovered excellent new breweries – such as Thornbridge and Wibblers (a local brewery, about five miles from my home), and enjoyed challenging new brews from the likes of Brewdog.

My personal circumstances mean that I start a new job this month in Manchester, in the north-west of England, so I suspect there will be a whole new raft of craft breweries to explore.